In the manuals of corporate dress codes, a woman's handbag rarely merits a mention. Yet the purse a woman carries to work is much more than a place to hold a hairbrush. A purse can send a signal about its owner's character, says Monica Botkier, a New York-based handbag designer. 'The bag tells a lot,' she says. 'When I read a woman, I read her bag. It's a little Rorschach test.'

公司着装手册中很少会提及女性手袋。但女性上班时携带的手袋远不只是一个放发梳的地方。纽约手袋设计师莫妮卡•柏柯尔(Monica Botkier)说，手袋能够传达有关主人个性的信息。她说，“包能告诉人们很多东西。我会通过包来了解一位女性。这就像一个小小的罗夏墨迹测试(Rorschach test)。”

Striking a balance between style and organization is crucial to projecting an image of chic competence, says Ms. Botkier, who developed her signature Trigger bag when she was a fashion photographer seeking a roomy but stylish bag for her gear。

柏柯尔说，在时尚和井井有条之间取得平衡是打造雅致、干练形象的关键。柏柯尔当年做时尚摄影师时曾希望找一款既宽敞又时尚的包来放自己的行头，于是她创立了独具特色的手袋品牌Trigger。

For Ms. Botkier, a work purse has to be generous enough to move items between the home and office without becoming unwieldy. There is a fine line, she says, between spacious and burdensome. An office handbag should be large enough for a set of ballet flats -- but not cavernous enough for a pair of heels; it might hold an iPad, but not a laptop。

柏柯尔认为，上班用的手袋必须有足够的空间，能装得下通勤所需的物品，而又不能臃肿。她说，宽敞和笨重之间是有一些细微差别的。上班用的手袋应该能装得下一双平底鞋──但不至于大到装得下一双高跟鞋；它或许能装得下一台iPad，但装不下笔记本电脑。

A great work bag should be well-organized, Ms. Botkier says. She looks for purses with at least one outside pocket for her smartphone. A few internal pockets help keep small items like keys and pens off the bottom of the bag. As the mother of three small children who like to rummage through her purse, Ms. Botkier likes at least one internal pocket to have a zipper closure. 'They'll get into everything anyway, but the zipper helps,' she says。

柏柯尔说，好的通勤包应该是井井有条的。她希望手袋至少有一个外侧口袋，能用来放她的智能手机。几个内侧口袋可以用来放钥匙和钢笔等小东西，使它们不至于掉到包的底部。柏柯尔有三个年幼的孩子，他们喜欢乱翻她的手袋，因此柏柯尔喜欢至少有一个内侧口袋能用拉链拉起来的包。她说，“他们还是会什么都翻，但拉链能起一些作用。”

While some precious purses might stay bundled in a dust bag, your office bag will see daily use and should be made of a durable skin like cowhide or lambskin. Cowhide is sturdy but can seem heavy; lambskin is supple and lighter but more fragile. Choose deeper colors to mask stains and weatherproof the bag according to the designer's directions, she cautions. 'Stay away from suedes,' she says. 'The matte surface picks up dirt and can rub and get nubby.'

你可能会把一些贵重的手袋收在防尘袋里，但通勤包你每天都会用，它们应该用牛皮或小羊皮等耐用的皮革制成。牛皮很结实，但可能显得比较重；小羊皮柔软，比较轻，也比较容易受损。她提醒说，要选择深一点的颜色，这样更耐脏，同时要根据设计师的指导对手袋进行保养。她说，“不要用绒面皮的包，磨砂表面容易聚灰，擦了以后会结成块。”

It's hard to appear competent when fishing in the bottom of a purse, pulling out personal items in the middle of a conference table. So while unstructured hobo bags might be au courant, Ms. Botkier suggests carrying something with a slightly stiffer structure for the office。

如果正开着会的时候伸手到包底摸索，把个人物品翻出来的话，就很难给人以干练的感觉。因此，尽管率性随意的饺子包可能很潮，但柏柯尔建议上班时携带结构稍微规矩一些的包。

A bag with a choice of straps or handles -- to wear across the body, hoist on a shoulder or dangle from a wrist -- gives commuters options。

背提两用包可以斜挎、背在肩上或者搭在手腕上，给了通勤一族多重选择。

While fashion might favor tassels, noisy hardware and large logos, Ms. Botkier suggests toning purses down for corporate culture -- though creative offices might be more forgiving of trends。

尽管流苏、夸张的配饰和大大的徽标可能是时尚潮流，但柏柯尔建议让手袋与公司文化相协调──当然创意类公司可能会对潮流更加宽容。

She suggests switching purses with the seasons. In spring, she likes lighter colors -- pink or mint this year -- and less bulky bags. 'I always think of cross-body straps for spring, so you can have your hands free.'

她建议在不同的季节换不同的手袋。春季她喜欢颜色较浅──今年是粉色或薄荷色──以及轻巧一些的包。她说，“春天我总会考虑背斜挎包，这样就可以空出手来。”

In autumn, she prefers rich colors, such as deep plums or emeralds, and a larger handbag, which can balance out the bulk of a heavy coat and offer room for a hat, scarves and gloves。

在秋季，她偏爱浓郁的色彩，比如深紫或翠绿色系，她还喜欢大一些的手袋，这样与厚重的大衣比较配，还能装得下帽子、围巾和手套。

To ease the seasonal swap, or to switch bags for the weekend, Ms. Botkier keeps her makeup in pouches. A leather makeup bag helps prevent lipstick stains in a purse and could double as a clutch for party wear。

为减少换季和周末换包带来的不便，柏柯尔把她的化妆品放在化妆包里。皮制的化妆包可以防止口红把手袋弄脏，还可以兼作手抓包搭配晚礼服。

When carrying gym clothes, paper files and other items too large for a purse, Ms. Botkier carries a separate bag that doesn't conform to somber office dress codes and can be stashed under a desk. 'It can be anything from a luxe leather tote to a cute fabric in bright colors or leopard prints,' she says. 'And that's your fun tote. It's something a little extra.'

在携带运动衣、纸质文件或手袋里放不下的其他东西时，柏柯尔会另带一个包。这个包并不符合严肃的办公室着装规则，可以塞到桌子底下。她说，“奢华的皮制托特包，可爱的亮色布包或者豹纹包通通都可以。这种好玩的托特包是一点点额外的东西。”

Monica Botkier

莫妮卡•柏柯尔

Launched the Botkier handbag line in 2003

2003年推出柏柯尔手袋系列

Developed her signature Trigger handbag in 2003

2003年创立了她的特色品牌Trigger

Botkier is available at Nordstrom, Shopbop and Botkier.com

柏柯尔品牌产品在诺德斯特罗姆百货公司(Nordstrom)、Shopbop品牌网店和Botkier.com有售

Monica Botkier, her first luxury collection, will be out in the fall

她的首个奢侈品系列“莫妮卡•柏柯尔”将于今年秋季面市